Steady Gialon cruises to 6-shot romp as rivals falter

ILOILO – Zanieboy Gialon turned what was expected to be a tightly-contested final round at the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge into a display of dominance, cruising to a six-stroke victory over Angelo Que and Ira Alido with a clinical two-under 68 at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club here on Friday.

Holding a narrow two-shot lead over Jhonnel Ababa after 54 holes, Gialon seized his opportunity as the former faltered with a costly double bogey on the opening hole. The Davaoeño ace quickly capitalized, doubling his advantage and maintaining firm control throughout the sweltering final day.

With his closest rivals unable to mount any serious threat, Gialon didn’t need to replicate the brilliance of his earlier rounds to stay ahead in the final stretch. His blistering 64-66 performance in the middle rounds had already positioned him atop the leaderboard of the P2.5 million championship presented by MORE Power and Electric Corp.

He maintained his composure and precision as his chief rivals hobbled in challenging conditions, coming through with a birdie-par-birdie windup to seal the commanding win. By the time he walked up to the final green, the outcome was never in doubt, with Gialon clinching his first win in two years with a 13-under 267 total, and taking home the P450,000 top prize.

“I worked hard for this, preparing and training seriously after missing the cut by one stroke at Splendido Taal and Forest Hills. It’s great to see that effort pay off,” said Gialon in Filipino. “I focused on my long game since I knew this course was incredibly tight.”

He also leaned heavily on his putting to complete his dominant performance against a stellar field.

“My putting was really on point. For instance, on the last hole, I sank a 20-foot putt,” he added.

“It may have seemed like an easy win, but it was actually tough and very exciting. I saw Ira (Alido) closing in when we reached No. 13, and that’s when I really pushed myself,” added Gialon.

Starting with a 2-up lead, Gialon further strengthened his advantage by carding birdies on two of the first five holes, widening the gap to four strokes ahead of Fidel Concepcion and Ababa. Even a bogey on the eighth hole couldn’t disrupt his commanding hold on the title, as his rivals failed to capitalize on the opportunity to close the gap.

Concepcion, who was playing in the group ahead with Alido and Dino Villanueva, tried to stage a charge, picking up birdies on Nos. 4 and 6. But like Gialon, he stumbled on the tough par-4 eighth and was unable to narrow the gap, never getting closer than four strokes.

Gialon’s bogey on No. 15 barely made a dent in his lead. In fact, he quickly regained his four-stroke cushion over Alido, Concepcion, Tony Lascuña and Que, who found themselves scrambling for a runner-up finish instead of contending for the title.

Alido faltered with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16, while Concepcion’s hopes were dashed by a costly double bogey on the par-5 14th. Lascuña also lost momentum after a bogey on No. 15, followed by an errant approach shot on the 18th, which led to another bogey.

Meanwhile, the late-surging Que mounted a strong finish with a flawless four-under card, but despite his efforts, he simply ran out of holes in his late push to close the gap.

But Que’s fiery 66 earned him a joint runner-up finish at 273 alongside Alido, who carded a 68. Both received P232,500.

Guido van der Valk shot a 68 to tie Lascuña, who finished with a 69, and Concepcion, who wound up with a 71, for fourth place at 274, while Reymon Jaraula slipped to seventh at 275 after a 72, and Clyde Mondilla stormed back with a 67 to snatch eighth place at 276.

Ababa, unable to recover from his early misstep, struggled throughout the round, finishing with a disappointing 76 to fall to joint ninth at 277, along with Nilo Salahog and Daiya Suzuki, who posted 67 and 68, respectively.

The victory marked Gialon’s return to the winner’s circle since his four-shot triumph at Caliraya Springs in 2022. Now, Gialon has his sights set on continuing this form as the Philippine Golf Tour heads into its final two stops in Bacolod and Negros Occidental over the next two weeks.

Gialon’s commanding performance not only ended his title drought but also signaled a potential run of form as he eyes back-to-back victories in the final stages of the tour.